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This past Saturday, I went hunting with lawdog1 from the Friendly Metal Detecting Forum. We began by hunting some sidewalk strips and an old park. After a couple of hours, my friend told me that he was thinking about going up the street and asking for permission to hunt an empty lot next to a liquor store. So off we went.

Turned out the lot next to the liquor store had been detected multiple times according to the store attendant so my friend decided to ask for permission to hunt a 1927 house instead. After he was granted permission and we hunted the place –I found some wheats and some clad, I was inspired by my friend’s nonchalant attitude towards asking to detect the yard. Since I had stayed in the car while he procured access to the house, I did not get to listen to his pitch. I asked him how he did it and he gave me a couple of pointers.

So at lunch today, I decided to give this a try. I selected a soft target; a social agency that is housed in a very old house in a very old neighborhood. Thanks to my city’s tax database, I was able to discover that the house was built in 1901 so I was eager to see what was under that dirt! I went in and introduced myself as suggested by my friend from the forum. After about a ten minute conversation with one of the Directors of the agency, he granted me permission to detect the yard. Awesome!

The yard itself was tiny. Both front yard and back yard looked like they had been worked on, possibly some utility work. I managed to find four wheat cents: a 1920, two 1944D, one 1956D and some clad. I also found a small brass plaque with the names of two German Socialists from the turn of the century: Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebeknecht.

No silver but the experience was worth a lot to me. Although the place was not someone’s house, it was still private property and it was still a cold call. I now have lost some of the apprehension of asking for permission to hunt a private property.

I feel a whole new world of opportunity has opened up in my quest for old coins!

One Response to “A Whole New World”

Old private houses are where it’s at! I’ve just about exhausted all of my friends with older houses. I’m happy to hear that you’ve had luck door-knocking. I’m still nervous to give that a try, but then you end up with awesome finds like these! I love that little brass plaque. That was worth going for sure. I can’t wait to see what else you can find.

My stepdad gave me his older White’s machine – a Coinmaster 6000 series from the 80’s. I think I am going to go back to my friend’s house where I found the silver coins and go back over it. I think that machine can go much deeper than my little BH. We’ll see!